Tab top can opener

ABSTRACT

A device for opening a tab container, the device including a base and a movable member which pivots on the base. In using the device, the tab container is positioned on the base such that a first projection carried by the movable member may be positioned inside the ring of the tab while a second projection abuts the upper surface of the container. When the movable member is rotated by a handle the first projection functions to pull the tab upwardly while the second projection functions to push the container downwardly to effect the disengagement of the tab from the container.

United States Patent 11 1 Cook [4 1 Nov. 5, 1974 TAB TOP CAN OPENER Primary Examiner--Al Lawrence Smith [76] Inventor: Wallace H. Cook, 5279 Carrigan Ass'smnt '""-3 Parker Rd" North Street, Mich 48049 Attorney, Agent, or F1rmlrv1ng M. Werner [22] Filed: Nov. 14, 1973 7 B R [21] Appl. No.: 415,664 [5 1 A ST ACT A device for opening a tab container. the device ineluding a base and a movable member which pivots on [52] U.S. Cl. 81/33 R, 81/334 the base. In using the device the tab Container is p0 [51] [1.1L Cl B671) 7/36 tioncd on the base Such that a first p j i carried [58] Fleld of Search 81/334, 3.3 R, 3.1 R, y the movable member y be positioned inside the 81/331 3'48; 220/47 ring of the tab while a second projection abuts the upper surface of the container. When the movable [56] References C'ted member is rotated by' a handle the first projection UNITED STATES PATENTS functions to pull the tab upwardly while the second 2,546,037 3/1951 McGuinness 81/336 projection functions to push the container down- 3,235,122 2/1966 Oblander wardly to effect the disengagement of the tab from the 3,460,411 8/1969 Dyer 81/334 ontainer 3,572,186 3/1971 Dillard 81/33 R 9 Claims, 4 Drawing lFigures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This present invention relates to openers and, in particular, to an opener of a container of the type having a tab with a self-contained lifting ring.

2. Description of Prior Art The present standard in the soft drink and alcoholic beverage industry is to provide metal containers with self-opening tabs. The opening of a tab container is effected by holding the container in a stationary position in one hand while inserting the index or other finger of the other hand into the self-contained ring of the tab and lifting up. In the tavern and restaurant business where such containers are employed, it is necessary to open a large number of these tab containers. When a waitress is called upon to open a large number of con tainers in a short period of time it can become quite a tedious and inconvenient task. Furthermore, the opening of a considerable number of cans presents a hazard to the manicured hands of a waitress as her nails can be easily broken or torn, when the tab is being lifted and manipulated.

The concept of using special device for opening a tab container is not novel, as shown in Oblander US. Pat No. 3,235,122; Henderson US. Pat. No. 3,459,075; Dyer U.S. Pat No. 3,460,41 l; and Dillard US. Pat. No. 3,572,186. However, the prior art devices lack the ease of operation provided by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, comprises a base which provides both a means for positioning a tab container vertically along its longitudinal axis and a means for pivotably supporting a movable member which, in turn, furnishes the means for intercepting a self-contained lifting ring of the container tab. Means for engaging the top of the tab container on the opposite side of the tab container top from the self-contained lifting ring is also provided. The movable member is rotatable along an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the positioned tab container, whereby when the movable member is rotated the ring of the tab is pulled up while simultaneously the tab container is pushed down to disengage the tab from the container.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for opening tab containers which can be simply operated with a minimal amount of strength and operated more efficiently than previously used devices for opening tab containers.

It is another object of the present invention to protect an operator thereof from spray emitting from the tab container without obstructing the view of the operator.

Other objects, advantages, and applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art of devices for opening tab containers when the accompanying description of the preferred embodiment is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several Figures, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device for opening tab containers in an initial stage of the tab container opening process;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the device in the same position as in FIG. 1 with the device mounted on a vertical support structure;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the device illustrating a later stage of the tab container opening process; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings and, in particular, to FIG. 1, wherein there is illustrated a standard tab container 10 having a cylindrical wall and a top 12 on which is located a tab 14 with a lifting ring 16. A device 18 for opening the tab container 10 is illustrated as comprising a. base 20, a movable member 22 and a cover 24. The device 18 is attached to a support structure such as a wall 26 by any means suitable such as screws 28 which pass through the apertures 27 in the base 20 and cover 24 and into the support structure 26 such that the screws 28 attach both the base and the cover 24 to the wall. A spacer 30 behind the lower screw 28 maintains the base 20 in the proper orientation with respect to the wall 26.

The base 20 has two lower outwardly extending arms 32 and 34 which are complementary to the shape of the cylindrical wall of a standard tab container 10 such that when the tab container 10 is placed between the outwardly extending arms 32 and 34 the tab container 10 is restrained from lateral movement and parallels the longitudinal axis of the device 18. The base 20 also has an upper pair of outwardly extending arms 38 and 40 which provide a support means for pivotally mounting the movable member 22 by any means suitable. In the preferred embodiment the movable member 22 has two square projections 42 which loosely fit into axially aligned apertures 44 in the upper outwardly extending arms 38 and 40 such that the movable member 22 can be rotated about the horizontal axis defined by the aligned apertures 44.

The movable member 22 has a projection 46 that terminates at a head 48, the width of which is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the standard lifting ring 16 of the tab 14. The movable member 22 has a second downwardly extending projection located at the rear of the member 22 opposite the head 48 such that the projection 50 will be lowered when the member 22 is rotated so as to raise the member head 48. R0- tation of the member 22 is facilitated by a handle 52 carried by the movable member 22.

The cover 24 is preferably fabricated from a transparent material such as a plastic, and is so sized as to extend above the device 18 to block any spray emitted from the container but is so positioned as to not impede the movement of the member 22. v

In order to operate the device 18, the standard tab container 10 is placed between the outwardly extending arms 32 and 34 of the base 20 such that the longitudinal axis of the tab container 10 is in approximately perpendicular line to the horizontal plane within which the movable member is disposed. Simultaneously the head 48 of the movable member 22 is inserted into the ring 16 of the tab 14 while the lower edge 56 of the second projection 50 of the movable member 22 rests on the top 12 of the tab container 10. The handle 52 of the movable member 22 is then lifted thru the horizontal plane such that the head 48 of the member 22 pulls the ring 16 upwardly along with the tab 14 while the second projection 50 pushes down on the tab container 10. As the handle 52 is further lifted, the seal of the tab 14 to the tab container is disengaged and the tab 14 is removed from the container 10.

Any spray that emanates from the tab container 10 when the seal is broken is blocked by the cover 24. As afore-mentioned, the cover is made of a transparent material such that it will not impede the view of the device 18.

The base further comprises a finger 60 which extends inwardly from the upper right arm 40 toward the vertical axis of the tab container. The finger 60 of the base 20 prevents the movable member 22 from pivoting into a vertical plane and maintains the movable member 22 at a position equivalent to the initial position of the movable member when the device 18 is initially used so that the operation of the device 18, is expedited.

Referring to FIG. 4, wherein there is illustrated a second embodiment of the present invention in the form of a container tab opener 62 comprising a base 64 having outwardly extending arms 66 which rotatably mount a cylindrically shaped member 68 by means of axial pins 70 which are supported in apertures 72. The right end pin is enlarged and L-shaped to form a handle 74 for facilitating the rotation of the member 68. A radial projection 76 carried by the member 68 is adapted to engage the ring 16 of the tab container 10 to remove the tab 14 when the container 10 is positioned between a pair of spaced guides 78 and when the top 12 0f the container 10 abuts the underside of the member 68.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A device for opening a tab container having a tab which has a self-contained lifting ring, said device comprising:

a base;

means on said base for positioning the tab container vertically along its longitudinal axis;

a movable member;

means on said base for pivotably supporting said movable member;

means on said movable member for intercepting the self-contained lifting ring of the tab;

means on said movable member for engaging the top of the tab container on the opposite side of the tab container top from the self-contained lifting ring;

3. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said device further comprises a cover which is connected to said base and extends over said device so as to block any spray emitted from the top of said tab container during the operation of said device.

4. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 3 wherein said cover is constructed of a transparent material, whereby the viewing of the operation of said device is facilitated.

5. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said first means on said base comprises two outwardly extending vertical arms which are adapted to align the tab container in an upright position.

6. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said first means on said movable member comprises a first projection extending outwardly from the axis of said movable member, said first projection having a flat extension whose width is less than the diametrical width of the self-contained lifting ring of the tab, whereby said self-contained lifting ring can be inserted onto said second projection.

7. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said second means on said movable member comprises a second projection on the opposite side of the movable member from said first projection, said second projection having an L shape extending below said movable member.

8. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said third means on said movable member comprises an outwardly extending handle on said movable member.

9. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said base further comprises means for retaining said movable member in a non-vertical position whereby the positioning of the tab container in the operation of said device is facilitated. 

1. A device for opening a tab container having a tab which has a self-contained lifting ring, said device comprising: a base; means on said base for positioning the tab container vertically along its longitudinal axis; a movable member; means on said base for pivotably supporting said movable member; means on said movable member for intercepting the selfcontained lifting ring of the tab; means on said movable member for engaging the top of the tab container on the opposite side of the tab container top from the self-contained lifting ring; and means on said movable member for rotating said movable member about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the positioned tab container whereby when said movable member is rotated, the self-contained lifting ring of the tab is pushed up while simultaneously the tab container is pushed down and the tab is disengaged from the tab container.
 2. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said base further comprises a means for attaching said base to an existing support structure.
 3. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said device further comprises a cover which is connected to said base and extends over said device so as to block any spray emitted from the top of said tab container during the operation of said device.
 4. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 3 wherein said cover is constructed of a transparent material, whereby the viewing of the operation of said device is facilitated.
 5. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said first means on said base comprises two outwardly extending vertical arms which are adapted to align the tab container in an upright position.
 6. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said first means on said movable member comprises a first projection extending outwardly from the axis of said movable member, said first projection having a flat extension whose width is less than the diametrical width of the self-contained lifting ring of the tab, whereby said self-contained lifting ring can be inserted onto said second projection.
 7. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said second means on said movable member comprises a second projection on the opposite side of the movable member from said first projection, said second projection having an ''''L'''' shape extending below said movable member.
 8. The device for opening a tab coNtainer defined in claim 1 wherein said third means on said movable member comprises an outwardly extending handle on said movable member.
 9. The device for opening a tab container defined in claim 1 wherein said base further comprises means for retaining said movable member in a non-vertical position whereby the positioning of the tab container in the operation of said device is facilitated. 